Ashtok
Name: Ashtok Race: Human Gender: Male Age: 25 Alignment: Neutral Evil (Most detection spells reveal "Neutral Good") Class: Rogue Story: Ashtok was born to a noble estate. His birth was an accident, his parents always intending to have but a single heir which they spoiled rotten. His older brother, a foolish fop, would inherit the family fortune acquired through an ancient military campaign. However, the last vestiges of their mighty heritage remained only as the faded coat of arms and dulled swords hanging on the walls of their manor. Ashtok was to be educated and sent away to join the clergy, so that his parents could conveniently sweep him under the rug. Ashtok, born with a handsome and strong physique, excelled at his studies. He soon came to view himself as superior to his brother and resent both him and his parents. Often, at social gatherings, he would find ways to subtly expose his brother's foolishness. When he was sent away to the monastary, he soon learned to hate the simple, humble life imposed upon him. As with his brother, he sought to deconstruct the core tenants of the theology and prove his own views superior, for which he was ultimately exiled as a heretic. Ashtok blamed all imperfection in the world on traditions, sympathy and attachments that hinder people's ability to evolve. All mortals, he thinks, should seek to transcend mortality in order to dethrone the gods and become their own self-made gods. Those that are destroyed along the way are of no consequence as it is a law of nature that only the strong survive. The most admirable animals are predators that have killed their way to the top of the food chain - to be feared by other animals. Although he does not have any innate magical talent, he believes anyone can unlock the secrets of the body, the mind and the multiverse with enough study. Ashtok is, at his core, a sociopath incapable of empathy for others. However, he is smart and charismatic enough to be able to expertly mimic social graces and exploit what he sees as "weak ideas" to advance himself. He is patient, and willing to endure whatever he must on the long road to perfection. His hubris truly knows no bounds, though he will feign humility when advantageous. He is no fool, and will not engage an obviously superior foe unless he can find some way to turn the tables on them. Before his exile, Ashtok received a magical stone which would mask his alignment and allow him to infiltrate "dens of sin" and guide them toward the light. He now uses this stone for the exact opposite purpose, to appear benign while using people to further his personal goals. Ashtok travels the world, posing as a benign healer in simple robes and claiming to serve the higher truth, untainted by the bias of gods or men. This allows him to offer his mundane healing services to those often refused by the clergy: criminals and unrepentant sinners. Often, these people confess their guilt to him, believing him more trustworthy to keep things in confidence then the cleric of a state sponsored religion - giving him tools to further his eventual goals. In addition, if unwanted folk who will not be missed should happen to die by "accident" or medical complications, they allow him an opportunity to study their anatomy. By dissecting bodies, he learns where to strike at vital points in combat. He also hopes to one day unlock the secrets of life and the catalyst for evolution and use them to improve himself. In the meantime, he attempts to mimic all the best traits seen in nature. His false facade, and armor plates sewn into his humble robes, represent camouflage. With daggers, darts and vials of poison he emulates fangs, claws, quills and stingers. He will also sometimes subject himself to very small doses of poison or deliberately infect himself with a disease in order to heal it, hoping to grant himself a biological immunity. Once he has done that, he will attempt to use it as a weapon against his foes. By making every killing implement or organism his tool he thinks he can master death. He may one day attempt to convert others to his way of thinking, but still needs more to show for it. For now, he prefers anonymity, taking the most common names in a given area to seem unremarkable.